Humidifier



Aug. 22,1967 R. E. MCcoY ETAL HUMIDIFIER Fild March s,

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United States Patent O 3,337,196 HUMIDIFIER Robert E. McCoy and Edward C. Klotz, Phoenix, Ariz., Y assignors to McGraw-Edison Company, Milwaukee,

Wis., a corporation of Delaware Filed Mar. 3, 1966, Ser. No. 531,423 A6 Claims. (Cl. 261-29) This invention relates to humidifiers and, more particularly, to portable humidiiers for use in such occupied areas as residences and oiices.

i It is a general objective of humidifying devices used in occupied spaces to introduce a maximum quantity of moisture into the ambient air while totally eliminating or minimizing human discomfort. In the humidifier of this invention, the applicants utilize a vaporizer-ilter medium disposed in a generally U-shaped coniiguration to provide an extended air permeable sur'face and have provided for air distribution to effectively utilize the iilter throughout its surface area. Further, the vaporizer-iilter and the distributor assembly to which it is connected may be readily removed from the enclosing housing for cleaning or service. Air entering the unit is received through openings in the rear wall and air discharged from the unit is directed vertically to minimize the discomfort caused by the air motion initiated by the forced circulation through the unit. The vaporizer-lter is further fully enclosed and spaced within the housing to .assure that a moisture ladened surface does not contact and damage any adjoining furnishings.

It is an object of this invention to provide a maximum of humidity to the ambient air without causing human discomfort.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a vaporizer-iilter medium in a humidifier of extended surface and so distribute the air approaching said medium as to achieve maximum effective use of the medium throughout suchy extended surface.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a' humidifier wherein the water reservoir may be relled without either moving the cabinet or disturbing the vaporizer-iilter'.

Itis also an'object of this invention to provide a humidiiier' wherein the iilter medium and associated auxiliary lstructure may be easily removed for cleaning and maintenance.

These andother objects and advantages of this invention will be apparent from the following description when taken in connection. with the .accompanying drawings wherein: v FIGURE 1 is a longitudinal vertical section of the humidifier of this invention; v v FIGUREZ is an end elevation of the humidifier of this invention as seen from the left side of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a partial horizontal section view taken along the line3-3 of FIGURE l; j FIGURE 4 is a perspective view of an upper portion of the' humidier of FIGURE 1 taken along a vertical section and showing the water distributor assembly and vaporizer-ilter mounted within the cabinet;

FIGURE 5 is a plan view of the left side of FIGURE 1 with the top closure doors moved toward the opposite end with some of the vaporizer-iilterretaining pins re- 3,337,196 Patented Aug. 22, 1967 fice moved and the liquid supply tube from the pump to the distributor assembly removed; and,

FIGURE 6 is a perspective view of the air batiie and adjoining portions of the cabinet and fan shroud.

Referring to the drawings, FIGURE 1 shows the cabinet 10 including end walls 11, 12, side walls 13, and a bottom wall 14. The cabinet is supported on legs 16 and has a tubular cabinet frame 17 which margins the upper edge of the cabinet side and end walls. A water reservoir 18 is supported in the lower portion of cabinet 10 and is substantially coextensive in length and width with the cabinet. The uppervmargins of the side and end walls have portions which are lianged inwardly and downwardly with the marginal edge portion turned up to form an upwardly opening Vgroove 20 (FIGURE 4) in which is carried the fan shroud 21 at one end of the cabinet and the water distributor assembly 19 at the other end of the cabinet. Secured to and downwardly depending from the fan shroud 21 is a motor support assembly 22 which carries a motor mounting plate 23. The motor support assembly 22 is formed of a series of vertically spaced circular wire elements 25 secured to leg wires 25 which cooperate to provide not only structural strength and dimensional stability for mounting motor 24, but also provide a surrounding guard structure about fan blade 26. The fan blade'26 is mounted on the upwardly projecting motor armature shaft end portion 27 and a centrifugal pump assembly 28 including housing 29 is connected to the downwardly depending shaft end portion 30 of the motor. As better seen in FIGURES 4 and 6, cabinet frame 17 is tubular in nature and presents two vertically spaced grooves 32, 33 in which are respectively carried a pair of doors '34, 35 which slide horizontally in telescoping relation to one another.

As seen in FIGURE 4, the water distributor assembly 19 has .a top wall 36 with downwardly depending outer marginal edges which are received in the groove 20 presented by the upper marginal edge portions of the end wall I1 and side walls 13 to support and retain .the assembly. The top wall 36 terminates inwardly in an integral U-shaped portion 37 of generally H-shaped cross section. The lower inverted channel receives a vaporizer-filter' 38 which is secured therein by a series of filter-retainer pins 40 (FIGURE 5) which extend through apertures 41 in flange portion 43 of the inverted U-shaped channel and pierce through the vaporizer-flter 38. The U-shaped trough portion 42 provides the water distribu tion channel with the water being received through `a tubular element 44 secured through an aperture in the water distributor assembly in a water delivering orientation to the trough 42. A plate or upper wall member 45 overlies the distribution channel 42 at the point of entry of tubular element 44 and to each lateral side thereof. The water in the channel is distributed to the evaporatorfilter 38 through a series of apertures 46 periodically spaced along the bottom wall of the channel 42. A flexible tubular hose member 48 interconnects the pump assembly 28 at the bottom of reservoir 18 with the water distribution channel 42. The material forming vaporizeriilter 38 commonly a thickness or pad of expanded polyurethane material which is cotton flocked downwardly extends from immediately beneath the water distribution channel 42 with the lower marginal edge disposed within reservoir 18 below the lowest operating level of water within the reservoir. The Vaporizer-filter when mounted within the cabinet is of general U-shaped horizontal section to present an extended surface in the flow of air passing through cabinet 10.

As will be seen in FIGURES 2 and 3, a series of louvers 50 are formed in the end wall 11 to provide a series of air inlet openings 52 with the louvers 50 respectively presenting surfaces inclined to the plane of end wall l1 to deflect air entering cabinet 10 toward the nearest of the side walls 13. The vertical margins of the evaporator-filter 3S are received in U-shaped wall portion 54 of an air baffie 55 which is carried by the fan shroud 21 and has a wall 56 extending between the evaporatorfilter 38 and the -cabinet wall 13 to prevent air circulation through the cabinet from avoiding passage through the evaporator-filter. Overlying the outlet opening in the fan shroud 21 is a perforate screen 58 through which the air discharged from the cabinet is directed upwardly. Although not shown in the illustrated embodiment, a reheat element may be placed within the space defined by the fan shroud 21 intermediate screen 58 and fan blade 26. In the operating condition, both of the sliding telescoping doors 34, 35 are moved toward the left side of the unit as viewed in FIGURE 1 to uncover the discharge opening and provide an uninhibited free fiow of air upward from the cabinet. When the unit is not in use the sliding doors 34, 35 may be moved to the limit of travel in opposite directions to provide a substantially uninterrupted top wall surface. When it is necessary to check the water level or fill the reservoir 18, it is only necessary to slide both of the sliding doors 34, 35 to the right side of the unit as viewed in FIGURE l, whereupon the contents of the reservoir may be ascertained visibly without difficulty and the unit may be filled by pouring water into the opening defined by the U-shaped water distributor assembly portion 37. To avoid overfilling a maximum water level indicia 60 and a suitable legend may be disposed upon the inwardly facing wall surface 62 of the air baffle which is readily visible when both of the top closure doors 34, 35 are moved to the end where they overlie the fan shroud 21. The va-porizer-filter may be removed from cleaning or replacement simply by withdrawing the filter pins 40, or the entire water distributor assembly including the vaporizer-filter may be lifted out of the cabinet as a unit after the water delivery tube 44, which connects the water distributor assembly 19 with the pump assembly 23, is disconnected from the tubular member 43. The fiexible tube 44 may also serve to drain reservoir 18 by disconnecting the distal end from the water distributor assembly 19, placing it in a container for receiving the water from the reservoir and thereafter operating the pump.

When operating the unit, both top sliding doors 34, 35 are moved to a position of overlying relation with respect to the water distributor assembly 19 to thereby provide a full free opening above the screen 58 covering fan 26. The fan 26 induces a flow of air which passes through the inlet openings 52 in the end wall 11, the vaporizer-filter 38 and vertically out of the enclosure through the screen 58 overlying the fan 26. Simultaneously, the motor drives the pump to deliver water from reservoir 18 to the water distribution trough 42 from which the water is distributed through apertures 46 in the bottom wall of the trough along the top margin of the vaporizer-filter pad to maintain vaporizer-filter 38 in a saturated condition. The air entering through the inlet openings 52 in end wall 11 is deflected by the louvers 50 t-oward the nearest of the adjacent side walls 13 to induce air to flow along the side walls and pass through the parallel portions of vaporizer-filter 38 thereby effectively utilizing the entire extended surface of the vaporizer-filter. By utilizing a more extensive filtering surface it is possible to both induce a greater flow of air through the filter and thereby increase the efiiciency of the unit and use a thicker vaporizer-filter medium to realize a more effective filtering action. The air is moisturized during its passage through the moisture ladened vaporizer-filter medium and is discharged upwardly by the fan through the top wall of the unit so as to minimize the discomfort to human occupants occasioned by air movement.

While a specific embodiment of the instant invention has been shown and described herein, it is to be understood that variations may be made therein without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A humidifier comprising a cabinet having side walls defining an enclosure; a liquid reservoir having a top opening and supported in a lower portion of said enclosure; air inlet opening means in one of said side walls comprising a series of vertically extending louvers; wall means defining a liquid distribution channel of generally U-shaped horizontal section in an upper portion of said enclosure with a bright portion adjacent said one side wall and the leg portions respectively adjacent the side walls adjoining said one side wall; a vaporizer-filter medium of general U- shaped horizontal section supported within said enclosure in liquid receiving downwardly depending relation with respect to Said distribution channel and continuously underlying said channel to extend between said side walls adjacent said one side wall with the lower marginal portion terminating below the liquid surface of said reservoir; an air outlet opening in said enclosure; air circulating means for causing a flow of air to enter said enclosure through said inlet opening and issue from said enclosure through said outlet opening with substantially all of said air flow directed through said vaporizer-ilter medium, said air outlet opening being in the top surface of said enclosure adjacent the side wall opposite said one side wall and including a pair of horizontal door members horizontally slidably mounted on said enclosure, said horizontal door members being slidable with respect to said enclosure and one another with a first position with one of said doors moved towards said one side Wall and the other of said doors moved away from one said side wall to form a top wall for said enclosure, a second position wherein both of said pair of doors are moved toward said one side wall in telescoping relation to one another to uncover said outlet opening and a third position wherein said pair of doors are both moved away from said one side wall to provide a substantially free opening overlying said reservoir for the filling thereof.

2. The humidifier of claim 1 wherein said air circulating means is oriented to deliver a substantially vertical discharge of air through said outlet opening in the top surface of said enclosure.

3. The humidifier of claim 1 wherein said U-shaped channel is formed as a portion of an assembly having a marginal depending wall portion and said enclosure presents an upwardly opening groove in which said depending wall portion is received, said vaporizer-lter medium being supported on said assembly whereby said assembly and said filter medium may be lifted out and removed from said enclosure as a unit.

4. A humidifier comprising a cabinet having end walls and side walls defining an enclosure of generally rectangular horizontal section; a reservoir having a top opening supported in a lower portion of said enclosure; a generally U-shaped water distribution channel mounted within and adjacent the top of said enclosure having the bight portion adjacent one end wall and the leg portions respectively adjacent the side walls; means for delivering water from said reservoir to said distribution channel; a vertically extending vaporizer-filter medium supported within said enclosure with the upper edge surface disposed immediately beneath said distribution channel and the lower marginal portion terminating below the liquid level in said reservoir to form an extended vaporizer-filter surface; apertures in the wall defining the lower portion of said distribution channel for delivering liquid from said distribution channel to said vaporizer-lter medium; and an opening in said one end Wall including a plurality of vertically extending -louvers in said end wall at each side of the longitudinal center line of said enclosure, said louvers being formed to deflect air entering said enclosure through the louvered openings toward the nearest adjacent of said side walls.

5. The humidier of claim 4 further `comprising a pair of telescoping top closure doors slidable toward one end wall to uncover an air outlet opening, slidable toward the end Wall opposite said one end wall to provide a top opening for filling said reservoir and slidable in opposite directions to provide a substantially continuous top wall.

6. The humidifier of claim 4 wherein said cabinet includes groove portions adjacent one end wall and said side walls and said distribution channel comprises part of an assembly presenting downwardly depending marginal Wall portions received in said groove portions to support and position said assembly whereby said assembly may be lifted out and removed from said enclosure.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS HARRY B. THORNTON, Primary Examiner.

T. R. MILES, Assistant Examz'nef..

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent N0 3,337 ,196 August 22 1967 Robert E. McCoy et al.

certified that error appears in the above numbered pat- It is hereby t the said Letters Patent should read as ent requiring correction and tha corrected below.

Column 4, line 19, for "bright" read bvght Signed and sealed this 11th day of June 1968.

(SEAL) Attest:

EDWARD J. BRENNER Edward M. Fletcher, Jr.

Commissioner of Patents Attesting Officer l 

1. A HUMIDIFIER COMPRISING A CABINET HAVING SIDE WALLS DEFINING AN ENCLOSURE; A LIQUID RESERVOIR HAVING A TOP OPENING AND SUPPORTED IN A LOWER PORTION OF SAID ENCLOSURE; AIR INLET OPENING MEANS IN ONE OF SAID SIDE WALLS COMPRISING A SERIES OF VERTICALLY EXTENDING LOUVERS; WALL MEANS DEFINING A LIQUID DISTRIBUTION CHANNEL OF GENERALLY U-SHAPED HORIZONTAL SECTION IN AN UPPER PORTION OF SAID ENCLOSURE WITH A BRIGHT PORTION ADJACENT SAID ONE SIDE WALL AND THE LEG PORTIONS RESPECTIVELY ADJACENT THE SIDE WALLS ADJOINING SAID ONE SIDE WALL; A VAPORIZER-FILTER MEDIUM OF GENERAL USHAPED HORIZONTAL SECTION SUPPORTED WITHIN SAID ENCLOSURE IN LIQUID RECEIVING DOWNWARDLY DEPENDING RELATION WITH RESPECT TO SAID DISTRIBUTION CHANNEL AND CONTINUOUSLY UNDERLYING SAID CHANNEL TO EXTEND BETWEEN SAID SIDE WALLS ADJACENT SAID ONE SIDE WALL WITH THE LOWER MARGINAL PORTION TERMINATING BELOW THE LIQUID SURFACE OF SAID RESERVOIR; AN AIR OUTLET OPENING IN SAID ENCLOSURE; AIR CIRCULATING MEANS FOR CAUSING A FLOW OF AIR TO ENTER SAID ENCLOSURE THROUGH SAID INLET OPENING AND ISSUE FROM SAID ENCLOSURE THROUGH SAID OUTLET OPENING WITH SUBSTANTIALLY ALL OF SAID AIR FLOW DIRECTED THROUGH SAID VAPORIZER-FILTER MEDIUM, SAID AIR OUTLET OPENING BEING IN THE TOP SURFACE OF SAID ENCLOSURE ADJACENT THE SIDE WALL OPPOSITE SAID ONE SIDE WALL AND INCLUDING A PAIR OF HORIZONTAL DOOR MEMBERS HORIZONTALLY SLIDABLY MOUNTED ON SAID ENCLOSURE, SAID HORIZONTAL DOOR MEMBERS BEING SLIDABLE WITH RESPECT TO SAID ENCLOSURE AND ONE ANOTHER WITH A FIRST POSITION WITH ONE OF SAID DOORS MOVED TOWARDS SAID ONE SIDE WALL AND THE OTHER OF SAID DOORS MOVED AWAY FROM ONE SAID SIDE WALL TO FORM A TOP WALL FOR SAID ENCLOSURE, A SECOND POSITION WHEREIN BOTH OF SAID PAIR OF DOORS ARE MOVED TOWARD SAID ONE SIDE WALL IN TELESCOPING RELATION TO ONE ANOTHER TO UNCOVER SAID OUTLET OPENING AND A THIRD POSITION WHEREIN SAID PAIR OF DOORS ARE BOTH MOVED AWAY FROM SAID ONE SIDE WALL TO PROVIDE A SUBSTANTIALLY FREE OPENING OVERLYING SAID RESERVOIR FOR THE FILLING THEREOF. 